This week I was informed I got a raise. This is a great thing and it was based on merit and the idea was to reward the best employees with larger raises based on performance. In principle, I have no problem with that. The challenge was that some people got a 2% raise, some 1% and others zero.
In my world, as I said to many today, I was just happy to get anything and was thankful as a result. I had not worked out what percentage I got because it did not matter to me. I was pleased that our administration acknowledged my good work and was willing to pay me a little better as a result. After five years of little or no raises, I am thankful for any support. I guess this make me an administration butt kisser in the eyes of some but I am a happy guy. I realize how lucky I am to have a job I love in an awesome place working with great people. Not many people get that opportunity in life.
While this situation for me created a better work environment; it has created a lot of hurt feelings in others (some of which are very good friends and colleagues of mine). There was much comparing of notes occurring in the hallway today. It made for an uncomfortable environment walking the halls today with hurt feelings over a difference for most people would be a pizza a month. I understand the frustration that some feel that they were not given their due for whatever reason. This once again proves why again I would make a horrible Dean as I would have a hard time making these types of choices of who deserves raises and who does not.
This brings me to the question of whether merit based raises are really a good idea for the workplace? Do they really motivate and reward those doing a good job or do they mostly just create bitterness within the work environment? In my case, I would not work any differently if they paid me $5 or $5 million. I would always give it my best. That is just who I am. My question for you is whether you think this is good way to allocate raises?
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